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No matter how spacious, it seems like storage is at a premium in almost every kitchen. While you can make some extra room in your cabinets with the old fashioned storage hack of using a lazy Susan and regular decluttering sessions, most of us will still be left with a handful of items that are both hard to store and vital for a functional kitchen. Things like spices, paper towels, and pot holders must be within easy reach at all times, which all too often means they’re taking up valuable real estate on your counter, making it that much harder to cook or keep the counter squeaky clean.
Fortunately, these issues are easily remedied by taking advantage of an often-overlooked storage space — the side of your fridge. With some magnets and creative thinking, you can turn that huge, blank area into a showcase of your favorite kitchen tools, keeping them both tidy and within easy reach. For seasonings, you can choose between small, individual magnetic spice jars that cluster together beautifully, or a single magnetic spice rack like this one from Amazon that stores different sizes of bottles and canisters.
While some people swear by tension rods to make storing paper towels easier and neater, retailers also sell sturdy magnetic bars to keep them conveniently corralled on your fridge. There are even DIY and retail options that combine a small set of shelves with a rod for paper towels. You can certainly use these shelves for seasonings, but they’re also good for storing cleaning supplies or even cooking utensils like whisks and wooden spoons.
Tips and guidelines for magnetic storage on your fridge
At first, the numerous options for magnetic fridge storage may seem overwhelming, but carefully assessing your needs can help you narrow down what to look for and make finding the right products much easier. For instance, if you’re constantly feeling around for your potholders, it might be a good idea to get magnetic clips to keep them close at hand. If baking is your favorite way to relax, magnetic hooks might be the best option for storing your measuring cups.
Something else to consider is how this hack can improve kitchen safety. Lifestyle icon Martha Stewart recommends making your kitchen safer by keeping a first aid kit nearby to quickly and easily address minor injuries. Tucking such a kit into a shelf on the side of your fridge, or attaching magnets to the kit itself, shaves valuable seconds off of your response time if and when you sustain a cut or a burn. It’s also a handy place to stick a small kitchen fire extinguisher, provided your magnets are very strong.
In fact, magnetic strength is something to consider for any organizational products you purchase, especially if you plan to store heavier things like glass spice jars or metal serving utensils. You can test this by sticking each organizer to the front of your fridge and filling it with the items you’d like to store while holding it in place with one hand. If the organizer slides when you move your hand, you’ll need something with stronger magnets.
